6 Reasons to Visit Germantown

Just a few miles from the Highlands and downtown Louisville sits a little sub-city once settled predominately by Germans. Today, Germantown is quickly becoming the new spot for recent graduates, elaborate gardens, newly renovated homes and some pretty amazing local bites and beers. Yes, Germantown is the latest up-and-coming area of Louisville, with plenty of (small) spaces occupied by new restaurants, bars and first-time homeowners. (Did you know it has the largest collection of shotgun houses in the city, almost all of which were built in the 1890s?)

Here, we have gathered a few of our favorite Germantown locations worth trying. Allow us to add that if you work downtown and hate the post-5 o’clock commute like we do, then just hop a few streets over to some of these great happy hour spots and wait for the traffic to die down. But do drink responsibly. Cheers!

Hauck’s Handy Store, located at 1000 Goss Ave., opened in 1912 and is considered a Germantown shrine and one everyone, especially those living in the area, should visit.

The Post

1045 Goss Ave., Louisville • (502) 635-2020

Talk about a damn good slice of pizza and one you can buy by the slice, too, The Post is Germantown’s latest restaurant, and, like others in the area, it certainly doesn’t disappoint. Choose from a variety of mouthwatering pizzas (the choosing is hard, trust us!), or just stick with a single slice of cheese, pepperoni or their slice of the day. If pizza isn’t enough (it never is, is it?), throw a Caprese salad into the mix. The Post also features a large beer menu, carrying everything from Bud Light to your favorite local craft beers. And enjoy daily happy hour(s) from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 12 midnight to 2 a.m., with $1 off domestic cans and wells.

Root Cellar

954 E. Kentucky St., Germantown • (502) 618-0663

Want to really start eating right, the right way? The Root Cellar is definitely a place you need to check out. This little grocery store is housed in the old Hope Worsted Mill at the corner of Kentucky and Swan streets and carries all the right food to eat the right way, and it comes directly from the farm to the store. They sell only Kentucky-grown produce and Kentucky-raised meats (all within 150 miles), with a great selection: bison, pork, beef, duck, chicken, fruits, vegetables, dairy, grains, honey, etc. It’s all worth the price. Along with beautiful cherry red tomatoes and a head of leaf lettuce, you also get a little history lesson while at the register, too. Seriously, #shoplocal.

The Root Cellar sells fresh and local produce, as well as an excellent selection of meat, like bison, pork, chicken and more from Kentucky farmers.

The Root Cellar serves the best tomatoes. These were as good as the ones we tasted while in Italy.

Eiderdown

983 Goss Ave., Louisville • (502) 290-2390

Just a block down from The Post sits another great Germantown restaurant called Eiderdown. Their menu may look like a German-inspired restaurant, but they prefer to refer to themselves as Southern-European, cooking up a mix of modern American, French and maybe just a touch of German food, too. Along with their deliciously prepared food, Eiderdown boasts a great selection of imported and craft beers. Check out their drink menu here. If you’ve never been to Eiderdown, our suggestions for regular menu items are definitely the Duck Fat Popcorn and the Nachburger.

Monkey Wrench

1025 Barret Ave., Louisville • (502) 582-2433

How could you not love a place with a tagline like this: “Louisville’s finest eclectic hillbilly headquarters.” Oh yeah, and “featuring over 60 bourbons and serving pub fair [sic] from our own monkey’s uncle.” This here is the tagline of The Monkey Wrench. Stop in on a Saturday or Sunday morning for their Bloody Mary Bar (definitely top 10 Bloody Mary bars in our book) and their hash browns, aka mashed tater tots with spices and ketchup. The Monkey Wrench also offers happy hour prices Tuesday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., with $2.50 wells and $2 domestic beers.

The Monkey Wrench, on the corner of Barret and Winter, serves up one of the best Bloody Mary bars in the city.

Hammerheads

921 Swan St., Louisville • (502) 365-1112

This small little Germantown restaurant has quickly become one of the most popular destinations … and one of the hardest to get in. However Hammerheads’ visitors certainly aren’t in a frenzy about the no call ahead or no reservations rule, for there is always a line out the door. And the long wait is worth it, in our opinion. Our menu favorites? The macaroni cheese balls, pork sliders, truffle fries, chicken and waffles, and the bacon brownie. Our other suggestion? Get there early.

Four Pegs

1053 Goss Ave., Louisville • (502) 634-1447

Known for its ever-changing, high-quality beer selection and Southern home-cooked menu, Four Pegs Beer Lounge, located on the corner of Goss and Spatt Street, is the perfect place for a relaxing evening spent on their new patio. And, according to several locals throughout Louisville and Germantown, they serve up the best chicken and waffles on a sandwich in town. Go try it for yourself.